Discover Top Posts Tagged with #zanclus cornutus

MerMay's 15th mermaid was a Moorish Idol! Another one with a nasty temper!

Also, I didn't have time to fill in the colours and details on this one, unfortunately...

#art #mermay #mermay 2023 #mermaid #moorish idol #zanclus cornutus #zanclidae #fish #pencil #traditional art #daily #artists on tumblr #valerianart

Moorish Idols Zanclus cornutus

#moorish idol #marine fish #aquaria #marine #ocean #fish #marine life #stripes #exotic #tropical #icthyology #zanclus cornutus #zanclidae #perciformes

Other than perhaps the common clownfish, and perhaps the common cleaner wrasse, no fish of the reef is so iconic worldwide, as is Zanclus cornutus, the Moorish idol. Usually measuring just over 20 centimeters, or 8 inches long, with a deep and narrow body that is 1 to 1.4 times its standard length, this otherwise disc shaped fish has an elongated, protrusive, tube-like snout; a very long, trailing, banner-like extension of its sickle-shaped dorsal fin; and a pair of facial projections that are more pronounced in the males of Z. cornutus. The Moorish idol has two broad black bars on its body, and a yellow saddle across its snout.

This species is omnivorous, but grazes on animal material, especially sponges, moreso than it feeds on algae. However its gut resembles that of herbivorous surgeonfishes or tangs of the clade Acanthuridae, such as Zebrasoma. Although Z. cornutus is normally regarded as the sole member of the entire family Zanclidae, there is also a history of placing it in this same, larger family of fishes. The issue is little more than semantics, because everyone agrees that Zanclus is very closely related to acanthurids, with its bones, teeth, and soft tissues all demonstrating a special evolutionary kinship, that is also confirmed by molecular studies. Zanclus is essentially a descendant of primitive tangs, that diverged ecologically from the true acanthurids, when it began adding spongal growth to its ancestrally more herbivorous grazing habits. Zanclus even today grazes on algae as well as sessile animals.

Moorish idols inhabit lagoons, reef flats, and clear, seaward reefs, throughout its widespread Indo-Pacific distribution, in tropical and some more temperate waters. They are found in the wild from the eastern coast of Africa, through to the eastern Pacific, and from Japan to Lord Howe Island and the shores of mainland Australia. The substrates they associate with may be either soft or hard, and the water can be either turbid or clear. They associate with both rocky and coral reefs, both coastal and offshore, and they are present around man. Despite their reputation as fragile in the aquarium, Z. cornutus are both versatile and adaptable in the wild, and the species is predicted to become a beneficiary of ocean warming by human activities. They are sufficiently adaptable to be present in human modified coastal environments.

The Moorish Idol has a reputation as impossible to keep alive in captivity, and it is rightly considered ethically wrong to import fish that are not likely to survive in captivity. The reason the species rarely lives long after its live importation, is in fact due to the trauma it suffers during the lengthy process of capture, holding, and long haul shipping. The chief stress on these fishes being starvation, during the whole process`by which they arrive to our tanks. If Moorish idols are not so stressed, or if they long ago survived this whole process, these fish are not actually problematic to look after, so there is no need to fear for their welfare should one be found that needs rehoming. It is said that this species either thrives and eats anything and everything in the aquarium, or they tragically die shortly after arriving, despite their cost. Fishes that are long term captives, however, are expected to be hale and healthy, and feeding vigorously.

The Moorish idol is often seen in pairs or groups of three fishes, although it is sometimes seen alone, and the species may form larger aggregations described as large schools. A small number of Z. cornutus can cohabit in the same tank, provided that it is large enough for this. In the aquarium, Z. cornutus is usually benign towards other fishes, but can be bold if challenged by another species. Known fin nippers and habitual bullies are not suitable as tankmates for Moorish idols. There is definitely a possibility that, as grazers, a Moorish idol could damage ornamental benthic organisms, such as coral polyps. According to anecdotes, very noxious and strongly stinging species of coral are left alone, such as the genera Palythoa and Euphyllia. Although they reportedly do sometimes consume even hard corals with small polyps, it is easier for them to target the polyps of fleshier species, and it is sponges, tunicates, and macroalgae are its dietary staples rather than polyps. Because the natural diet of these roving grazers features both animal and algal components, both kinds of food sources should be included in a varied aquarium diet for this fish, which ought to be fed little and often through the day. Newly imported Moorish idols, sadly, are not expected to take to feeding readily.

#Zanclus cornutus #Moorish idol #misunderstood fish #spongivores